Masking device for fingernails



July 8, 1958 .1. J. RODRIGUES, JR 2,842,141 I MASKING DEVICE FOR FINGERNAILS Filed May 10. 1954 H/S ATTORNEYS MASKENG DEVICE FR FINGERNAILS John J. Rodrigues, Jr., Berkeley, Calif.

Application May lll, 1954, Serial No. 428,397

Claims. (Cl. 132-735) My invention relates to the care of fingernails and more particularly to the application of polish thereto.

in the application of polish to the fingernails care must be exercised to assure smooth coverage of the nail with an absence of smear.

Consequently, and particularly when one attempts to do ones nails, the procedure is slow and time consuming, particularly when one who is right handed is applying the polish with the left hand to the nails of the right hand.

Among the objects of my invention are:

(l) To provide a novel and improved means for facilitating the application of polishto the fingernails;

(2) To provide a novel and improved means for minimizing smear in the application of polish to the fingernails;

(3) To provide a novel and improved means permitting application of polish to the fingernails with a minimum of skill;

(4) To provide a novel and improved nie-ans which -enables either hand to apply nail polish with ease to the nails of the other hand; and

(5) To provide a novel and improved means of low cost for use in the application of polish to the fingernails.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a three dimensional View of a device embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in section taken in the plane 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view depicting a detail in the construction of the device of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings for details of the invention as illustrated therein, it comprises a broad base 1 with an upper sloping surface 3 and formed with a deep centrally located edge notch 5 at its higher end.

In this notch is a finger supporting platform 7 which is hingedly secured to the base along the upper-inner edge of the notch by a spring hinge 9.

Rising from the sloping surface of the base, at a point located on the longitudinal axis of the finger supporting platform, is a threaded pivot 11 about which is rotatably mounted a turret masking plate 13 of a radius sufficient to cover the finger supporting platform. This turret masking plate is held in place by a screw cap 15 applied to the threaded end of the pivot.

Along the circumferential edge of the turret masking plate, the plate is formed to provide a plurality of spaced arches 17 of differing sizes, each terminating radially in a substantially oval-shaped opening 19 in the plate, of a size which varies in accordance with the arch with which it is associated, the range of sizes being such as to accommodate the average range of fingernail sizes. Thus When a nger is placed on the supporting platform, the turret masking plate may be rotated to an opening which substantially matches the nail, whereby the nail exposed ifi 2,342,215.41 `tf"rate1'rted July 8, 1958 To render the masking function of the plate more efficient, and thereby lower the skill requirement to an even greater degree, the side edges of each opening are turned downwardly to form relatively sharp edges 2i, enabling them to fit closely into the crevices where the side edges of the nail enter the flesh of the finger.

In using the device for its intended purpose, the finger is placed upon the finger supporting platform, which due to its associated spring hinge will hold the finger under light pressure against the under side of the turret masking plate. The plate is then rotated until one of the openings is found which most closely matches the fingernail of that finger. When the proper opening is found, that portion of the masking plate is utilized to frame the fingernail, and using it as a guide, the polish may be rapidly and conveniently applied to the exposed fingernail.

The same procedure is then followed with the remaining fingers of the individual, to thus enable such individual to attend to the ngernails of both hands in a fraction of the time which would ordinarily be required without the aid of the masking plate of the present device.

To facilitate the selection and placement of an opening in line with the finger support and stabilize the turret masking plate in such position, means are provided in the form of a spring pressed ball detent Z3 disposed in the upper surface of the base in the path of travel of a circle of ball receiving recesses 2S formed in the turret masking plate about the pivot axis as a center, such recesses being so spaced on the circle as to position an opening in line with the finger platform upon each engagement by i the ball detent.

As a convenience to the user of the device, the base may be extended to provide room for the reception of bottles 27 of fingernail polish. When this is done, l prefer to stabilize such bottles against tipping by forming recesses 29 in such extension and inserting a section 31 of plastic tubing in each recess, of a diameter to receive a bottle.

From the foregoing description of my invention its preferred form, it will be apparent that the same fulfills allthe objects of my invention, and while l have disclosed the same in considerable detail, the device as illustrated and described is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles involved, and l accordingly do not desire to be iimited in my protection to such details as l have illustrated and described except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A masking device for use in the application of polish to fingernails, comprising a base formed with a deep edge notch centrally located of one end of said base; means for supporting a finger in said notch adjacent the upper edge of said base; means for masking a finger placed on said supporting means to expose only the nail thereof, said means including a pivot located on the upper surface of said base, and a masking plate rotatably mounted about said pivot and of a radius sufficient to extend over said supporting means, said plate being formed with a plurality of arches of diering sizes along the periphery thereof at spaced intervals, with each arch terminating radially to form one end of a substantially oval-shaped opening of comparable size in said plate, adapted to expose the nail of a finger placed on said supporting means, each of said openings being bounded by side edges turned downwardly to form relatively sharp edges enabling thern to yclosely fit into the crevices Where the side edges of the nail enter the flesh of the finger;

and means for facilitating the selection and placement of a selected opening in line with said supporting means.

2. A masking device for use in the application of polish to fingernails, comprising a base formed with a deep edge notch centrally located of one end of said base; means for supporting a finger in said notch adjacent the upper edge of said base, said means including a finger supporting platform, a spring hinge securing said platform in said notch adjacent the upper edge thereof; and means for masking a linger placed on said platform to expose only the nail thereof, said means including a pivot located on the upper surface of said base on the longitudinal axis of said finger supporting platform, and a masking plate rotatably mounted about said pivot and of a radius suiiicient to extend over said platform, said plate being formed with a plurality of arches of differing sizes along the periphery thereof at spaced intervals, with each arch terminating radially to form one end of a substantially oval-shaped opening of comparable size in said plate, adapted to expose the nail of a linger placed on said platform, each of said openings being bounded by side edges turned downwardly to form relatively sharp edges enabling them to closely fit into the crevices where the side edges of the nail enter the liesh of the finger.

3. A masking device for use in the application of polish to fingernails, comprising a base having a sloping upper surface and formed with a deep edge notch centrally located of the higher end of said base; means for supporting a linger adjacent the upper edge of said base, said means including a finger supporting platform, a spring hinge securing said platform in said notch adjacent the upper edge thereof; means for masking a finger placed on said platform to expose only the nail thereof, said means including a pivot located on the upper surface of said base on the longitudinal axis of said finger supporting platform, and a masking plate rotatably mounted about said pivot and of a radius sufficient to extend over said platform, said plate being formed with a plurality of arches of differing sizes along the periphery thereof at spaced intervals, with each arch terminating radially to form one end of a substantially oval-shaped opening of comparable size in said plate, adapted to expose the nail of a linger placed on said platform, each of said openings being bounded by side edges turned downwardly to form relatively sharp edges enabling them to closely fit into the crevices where the side edges of the nail enter the flesh of the linger; and means for facilitating the selection and placement of a selected opening in line with said platform.

4. A masking device for use in the application of polish to fingernails, comprising a base having a sloping upper surface and formed with a deep edge notch centrally located of the higher end of said base; means for supporting a finger adjacent the upper edge of said base, said means including a finger supporting platform, a spring hinge securing said platform in said notch adjacent the upper edge thereof; means for masking a finger placed on said platform to expose only the nail thereof, said means including a pivot located on the upper surface of said base on the longitudinal axis of said finger supporting platform, and a masking plate rotatably mounted about said pivot and of a radius suficient to extend over said platform, said plate being formed with a plurality of arches of differing sizes along the periphery thereof at spaced intervals, with each arch terminating radially to form one end of a substantially oval-shaped opening of comparable size in said plate, adapted to expose the nail of a finger placed on said platform, each of said openings being bounded by side edges turned downwardly to forni relatively sharp edges enabling them to closely fit into the crevices where the side edges of the nail enter the flesh of the finger; and means for facilitating the selection and placement of a selected opening in line with said platform, said means including a spring pressed ball detent in the upper surface of the base in the path of travel of a circle of recesses formed in the plate about the pivot axis as a center, said recesses being spaced for engagement by said ball detent when an opening is in line with said finger supporting platform.

5. A masking device for use in the application of polish to fingernails, comprising a base, means for supporting a linger adjacent the upper edge of said base, said means including a spring supported depressible platform on which to rest a finger, and means for masking the fingernail of such finger, said means including a masking plate shiftably mounted on said base and having a plurality of masking openings for fingernails of different size and outline, said masking plate lying close to the finger resting surface of said depressible platform, whereby upon placement of a finger on said platform, said finger will be urged into light pressure engagement with said masking plate and said masking plate may be shifted to bring any one of said masking openings into registry with the nail of such finger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,469,893 Clapp Oct 9, 1923 2,020,100 Boyd Nov. 5, 1935 2,071,338 Henze et al. Feb. 23, 1937 2,262,977 Vasil NOV. 18, 1941 2,291,125 Wilkinson July 28, 1942 2,430,025 Mattias et al Nov. 4, 1947 2,487,823 Mettrick et al Nov. 15, 1949 

